Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country
File, Vietnam, HARVAN Misc. &
Memos, Vol. VII. Secret; Sensitive. In an attached covering note
transmitting a copy of the memorandum to the President, November 11,
7:15 p.m., Rostow wrote:
“Herewith Thieu’s rationale
for his position and frame of mind as of 19 November. He apparently
envisaged at that time to confer with Bunker on November 20 and get out the joint
statement within ‘2 or 3 days.’” The notation “ps” on the covering
note indicates that the President saw the memorandum. (Ibid.)

Source: National Archives and
Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-November 1968.
Secret; Immediate; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Drafted by
Habib and Bundy, cleared by Rostow and Read, and approved by Katzenbach. Repeated to Paris for
Harriman and Vance as Todel 1601. In a covering note transmitting a copy of
the telegram to the President, November 19, 3:05 p.m., Rostow wrote: “Herewith for your
clearance is the proposed outgoing to Bunker to guide him in, hopefully, the showdown
discussion with Thieu at 8:30
tonight our time.” The President cleared the telegram. (Johnson Library, National Security
File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President/Bombing Halt
Decision, Vol. VI [1 of 2])

Source: Johnson Library,
Tom Johnson’s Notes of
Meetings. No classification marking. The meeting lasted from 1:15 to
2:30 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) Nitze and the President met the
previous evening to discuss Vietnam and other issues with Rusk, Clifford, Rostow, McPherson, and Christian. (Ibid.) No record of that meeting has
been found, although an agenda in a November 19 memorandum from
Read to Rusk indicates that the topics were
the same as those discussed the next day. (National Archives and
Records Administration, RG 59, S/S-EX Files: Lot 74 D 164,
Secretary-President Luncheons (2))

Source: National Archives and
Records Administration, RG 84, S/AB Files: Lot 74 D 417, Files of
Ellsworth Bunker, Vietnam
Telegram Chronos. Secret; Immediate; Nodis/HARVAN Double
Plus. Received at 7:41 a.m. Repeated to Paris for Harriman and Vance. On November 21 Clifford wrote to the President: “I
note with concern in Ambassador Bunker’s report on his talk with President Thieu that Saigon continues to urge
the two main points that have been the basis of the disagreement
between our two countries. These involve the desire of Saigon to
take the lead in the Paris talks, and their refusal to permit
problems of internal politics to be considered.” He recommended that
a telegram be sent to Bunker
containing a strong message from the President in order to expedite
the decision by the GVN to come to
Paris. (Johnson Library,
National Security File, Country Files, Vietnam, Memos to the
President/Bombing Halt Decision, Vol. VII)

Source: Johnson Library, Recordings and
Transcripts, Recording of Telephone Conversation Between Johnson and Clifford, November 23, 1968, 11:45
a.m., Tape F68.09, PNO 9. No
classification marking. This transcript was prepared specifically
for this volume in the Office of the Historian.

Source: Johnson Library,
Tom Johnson’s Notes of
Meetings. No classification marking. This was the 594th meeting of
the NSC and was held in the Cabinet
Room of the White House. These notes were taken by Tom Johnson; additional notes
taken by Bromley Smith are
ibid., National Security File, NSC
Meetings File, Vol. V, Tab 76. A summary and a full transcript of
the meeting are ibid., Transcripts of Meetings in the Cabinet
Room.

Source: Washington National Records
Center, Department of Defense, OSD
Files: FRC 330 73 A 1250, VIET 092.2, (November) 1968. Secret;
Sensitive. In an attached covering note transmitting a copy of the
memorandum to Clifford,
November 26, Helms wrote:
“Attached is a report on the 25 November South Vietnamese National
Security Council meeting obtained from a reliable Vietnamese source
who has been reporting accurately on Vietnamese political affairs
since 1962. This report has been passed to Ambassadors Bunker and Harriman. In Washington it is being
disseminated only to you, and the Messrs. Rostow, Rusk and Bundy.” A stamped notation, dated December 6, on the
CIA memorandum reads: “SecDef
has seen.”

Source: Johnson Library, National Security
File, Memos to the President, Walt
Rostow, Vol. 108. Secret; Immediate; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Repeated to Paris for Harriman and Vance. In an attached covering note
transmitting a copy of the telegram to the President, November 26,
12:55 p.m., Rostow wrote:
“Herewith Bunker’s latest talk
with Thieu. As you will see
(para. 3), Thieu is still a
little foggy about getting into substantive talks until towards the
end of next week. This cable underlines the urgency of our working
out our own negotiating strategy and talking it over with the GVN—an item on today’s lunch agenda.”
The notation “L” on the telegram indicates that the President saw
it.

Source: Johnson Library,
Tom Johnson’s Notes of
Meetings. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the
Family Dining Room of the White House. Afterwards, the President met
privately with Clifford,
Rusk, and Helms for an additional quarter
hour. The President left for the LBJ
Ranch in Texas that evening and returned to Washington on December
2. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary)

Source: National Archives and
Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Incoming)-November 1968.
Secret; Priority; Nodis/HARVAN Plus. Repeated to Saigon.
Bromley Smith sent the
text of this telegram to the President at his Texas Ranch in
telegram CAP 82851, November 30, and
informed the President: “Herewith Ambassadors Harriman and Vance report on their conversation
with Soviet Ambassador Zorin
about the Paris talks. Zorin
was selling full withdrawal of U.S.
troops and acceptance of a coalition government. Zorin asked if Harriman and Vance would be leaving after
January 20 and they replied affirmatively. Thereupon Zorin said all should push forward
as rapidly as possible before that date.” (Johnson Library, National Security
File, Country File, Vietnam, HARVAN Double Plus, Vol. III) Prior to the meeting with
Zorin, the Department sent
Harriman and Vance as background an account of
the subjects discussed during a November 25 meeting between
Rusk and Dobrynin. (Telegram 278474/Todel 1681 to Paris, November 27;
National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot
93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-November 1968) For a detailed memorandum
of the Rusk-Dobrynin conversation, see Foreign Relations, 1964-1968, vol. XIV,
Document 325.